Ahead of the Buddha’s Birthday festival 2021, monks, nuns and lay Buddhists in provinces and cities have launched practical activities in communities.
On May 15, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s chapter in Ho Chi Minh City received one billion VND collected from Buddhists and people in the city at a ceremony held at Khanh An monastery located in the city’s District 12.
That amount of money was donated after one week of the VBS chapter’s launching for Indians severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and would be sent to the Central VBS for presenting to the Embassy of India in Vietnam.
Also at the event, a candle lighting and special prayer offered to India were held by the Cultural Board of the VBS chapter in collaboration with the VBS’s executive board in District 12 and Khanh An monastery.
Presenting symbol donation of one billion VND to Indians
Candles are arranged with sentence “Pray for India” at Khanh An monastery
In Long An province, in May 15, the VBS executive board in Thanh Hoa district organized the groundbreaking ceremony for a new rural bridge.
The bridge namely An Lap Tue Tam 222 has a length of 20m, a width of 3.3m, and a load of 2.5 tons. The construction cost 172 million VND in total, in which the VBS executive board covered 130 million VND.
At the bridge’s groundbreaking ceremony
In Nghe An province, Dong Yen pagoda located in Quynh Luu district held on May 16 a ceremony celebrating the Buddha’s Birthday with a restricted number of participants and a strict implementation of the Covid-19 prevention measures.
On this occasion, the pagoda presented 10 bicycles valued at 14 million in total, five 500.000-VND scholarships to disadvantaged pupils of Quynh Long secondary school, and handed over 10 million VND in cash to the school.
In addition, the pagoda also donated 30 million VND to a charity house program of the Woman Association in the district and another 30 million VND to a welfare program of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in the locality.
Disadvantaged pupils receive bicycles from Dong Yen pagoda
On the same May 16, Nun Thích nữ Huệ Đức, Abbess of Quan Am monastery and lay Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City’s Phu Nhuan district released seven huge golden lotuses on Nhieu Loc canal to celebrate the Buddha's Birthday festival 2021.
The annual tradition of lighting up 7 colorful lotus flowers on Nhieu Loc canal was started in 2013 by the monastery in order to create a joyful atmosphere during the Buddha's Birthday festival.
The tradition of releasing lotus flowers to celebrate Buddha's Birthday on Nhieu Loc canal is an interesting highlight of Buddhism in Phu Nhuan district in particular, and Buddhism in Ho Chi Minh City in general
